The Unit Study Method
This method builds a curriculum around thematically related learning plans where students study each subject area in relation to a theme. The versatile and integrative lessons engage students’ interests and different learning styles, making learning fun. Student-directed study fosters personal responsibility and self-awareness. The method is an effective way to incorporate a child’s weaker subjects into their learning plan, and it helps to show how ideas fit together from different perspectives.
Unit studies are flexible and can be tailored to a child’s needs instead of trying to fit them into a curriculum. They can help children learn to think and reason and to understand the connections between different parts of the world as they were created.
The unit study method incorporates multiple subjects and grade levels centered around a common theme such as a literature unit like Little House on the Prairie, a history topic such as World War II, or a science topic such as Desert Animals. Unit studies take topics that your child is interested in to transform them into learning. Units have the ability to touch on all the subject areas and many of the CA state standards. They are great for family learning as well since they can be adapted for most grade levels.
If you have questions about the Unit Study Method, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at shannon.carpenter@cottonwoodk12.org.
Here is a video explaining more: Introduction to the Unit Study Method
Create your own Unit Study
There are three essential elements needed to create your own Unit Study. They are: the topic, materials & resources & the plan.
THE TOPIC
This is the first step when deciding to use the Unit Study Method. Topics of study can last anywhere from a day, a week, a month, or longer. I highly recommend choosing topics that the student or family is interested in. The Homeschool Teacher can suggest supplement material to ensure all topics of study are included that are necessary for that student’s grade level. I also recommend all students have a separate Math curriculum since Unit Studies do not cover enough Math to be sufficient for the student.
MATERIALS & RESOURCES
Once the topic is chosen, the next step is to decide what materials and resources are needed. This can include items such as:
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Websites for research
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Lapbooks
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Reference Books
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Novels/Read-Alouds/Audiobooks
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Worksheets
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Movies/TV/Documentaries
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Art & Cooking projects
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Games
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Field Trips
THE PLAN
Unit studies can be used for TK-12th grade, but most are focused on the younger grades. For older students you can add grade-level novels, research reports, oral reports from the research, blog creations, interviews, grade-level science and history texts, and more to go deeper into a topic area. Once you’ve decided on your topic and the materials and resources to be used, it’s time to make a plan. There are many books and blog sites to show you how to make a plan. It‘s best to complete the following basics:
1. Daily Schedule: Decide how much time each day you will spend completing unit study activities. Fill in what each child will do for all subjects. Please add any other subjects the Unit Study does not cover such as Math.
2. Unit Schedule: Take a blank calendar and fill in what will be completed each day during the unit unless you are using a unit study that is pre-planned. Typically daily Unit Study lessons can take anywhere from 1-3 hours a day depending on how deep you go into the subject/topic.
3. Materials: Collect/purchase all items needed for the unit. Examples include: books/novels, science kits, videos, scissors, glue, paper, cardstock, file folders for Lapbooks, etc.
4. Organization: Decide how to organize your unit such as a large bin, drawers, a cabinet space, etc. Some units have lots of small pieces especially if you are creating Lapbooks. I recommend cutting out all the Lapbook pieces ahead of time and storing them in Ziplock bags for each student. Then the student can pull the pieces out when needed and they are all ready to go!
5. BEGIN!
Here is a video explaining how to create your own Fall Unit Study: Fall Unit Study How To
RESOURCES TO CREATE YOUR OWN UNIT STUDIES:
A Beginners Guide to Creating a Unit Study
All-In-One Thematic Unit Studies
Unit Studies are built around themes and there are so many free and very low cost unit studies available online, but here are some I’ve personally used or have recommended to other homeschooling families. If there is a unit study you are interested in, but need help putting together, please reach out to me at shannon.carpenter@cottonwoodk12.org.
Other Favorite Unit Studies:
Lapbook Information:
Lapbooks make Unit Studies fun and memorable while helping students retain and recall all the information they are learning in the Unit. Lapbooks also create a special momento that resembles a photo album or journal that the family and child can look back on at any time. Finally, lapbooks make it easy to keep all of the student work in one place and also take and do “on the go.”
Here are some videos on how to create a Lapbook:
More on How to Create a Lapbook Video
Here are some resources for creating your own Lapbooks: